CHAPTER 23

　　Natalie

　　It's been three weeks since I moved in with Frank and his wife, Carmen. They are a lovely couple and have ensured that I will be given the apartment next to theirs tomorrow. They spoke to the landlord and recommended me, which paid off in my favor.

　　I'm incredibly grateful. I had to drop out of school recently, and now I have a part-time job at the mini-marker until the baby comes. Oh, and I'm pregnant. Twenty years old and soon a mother of one.

　　It's scary, and I'm still freaked out about how life can take a turn, but I'm trying my hardest to stay brave.

　　Frank walks into the living room. He has just come home from work; he works at the mini-market with me.

　　"So... I have both good and bad news." Frank drawls.

　　I'm drinking tea with Carmen, and I lift my eyes to face Frank. He is wearing a hard-to-read expression. Their living room is cramped, and he slouches down in one old armchair.

　　"What's up?" I ask.